Grief
by Jet556
Summary: Upon the ThunderCats' return to the Valley of the Tombs, Tygra tries to comfort young Balor after the destruction of his home. It proves difficult because the young Evabon doesn't want to talk about it that much.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome gang. This is my new story, taking place not too long after "The Tale of Antaeus" and sometime after the episode "What Lies Above." Enjoy.**

**The Return**

Balor rested against Barghest. While he scratched Andvari behind the ears, Balor thought back to the sight of his home. It had been in ruins, there had been bodies everywhere. What kind of a time was he living in? He had returned to the Valley of the Tombs simply because it was the only place he could go back to.

"Hi, Balor!" Balor looked up in surprise. It was Kit! He hadn't heard the ThunderTank but the ThunderCats were here! There was a sad look on Balor's face that made the happy look on Kit's vanish. "What's the matter?" Balor looked away, still scratching Andvari behind the ears.

"Nothing."

Tygra starred over at Balor and Kit. He hadn't seen the boy like that since he had first met him! While the others talked with Rotherham about what had happened at the City of the Birds, Tygra placed a hand on the shoulder of Sothap who was walking by.

"What's wrong with Balor?" Sothap shrugged in response. Tygra tightened his grip on Sothap's shoulder. "You don't care?"

"The only thing that matters to me is what goes on inside this valley." Sothap removed Tygra's hand from his shoulder. "Whatever happens in the outside world doesn't concern me." Sothap started to walk away.

"The outside world is always coming here!" Sothap turned to look at Tygra. "It should concern you!" Sothap shook his head and walked away. Tygra walked over to Balor and Kit. Only Kit looked up at him. Balor just kept scratching Andvari's ears. "Kit, why don't you leave Balor alone for a while." Kit walked away, looking behind her shoulder as Tygra placed a hand on Balor's. "What's the matter, kid?" Balor didn't say anything. "You were just like this after that incident with the shapeshifter the last time I saw you but this isn't about that is it?" Balor still didn't say anything. "Something happened after we left. Come on, tell me what happened?" Still not a sound from Balor. "What happened? Did you return home to find it not there?" Balor turned his head to look at Tygra.

"It's gone, destroyed, in ruins… everyone is dead, I don't have a home anymore." Tygra's eyes widened in shock. He remembered the fall of Thundera and if something like that had happened to a village then it must have been a massacre.

"What? Who did this?"

"I don't know." Balor stopped scratching Andvari. "I just don't know."


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome back, gang. Enjoy.**

**Alone**

Balor placed Andvari next to him and looked up at Tygra. "I just don't know who did it but only that someone did it! My home is gone I'm alone! Gard is somewhere else and he doesn't even know what happened. Besides him, I'm completely alone!" Tygra couldn't believe he was hearing this from a kid.

"Come on, Balor, you're not alone." Balor didn't seem convinced. "You've got friends, we're your friends."

"Yeah, I guess."

"You know we are, we're not strangers to you." Balor seemed convinced. He wasn't nodding but he looked a little bit happier. "And there are people here who care about you!"

"I'm not so sure about that." Tygra laughed.

"There are!" Tygra pointed over at Rotherham. "He cares about you." He then pointed at Terag. "He does." Tygra nearly pointed at Sothap. "Him, I'm not so sure about but I think in his own strange way he cares." Tygra then pointed at Asaji. "Well, we know she cares about you! It's just how she is." Tygra then placed his hand on Balor's shoulder. "It's only natural for them." Something then came to Tygra. "Hey, what happened to Lynx-O?"

"I don't know, he could have gotten away but I don't think anyone survived, he could have died, he could have been taken prisoner but I still don't think anyone survived."

"Not much of hope from you right now, huh?" Balor shook his head. Tygra sighed. "You must have been hit hard."

"The only way I could have been hit harder was if I had been there when my was…"

"I don't think so." Balor wasn't convinced about this. "If you had been there you could have been killed. You might have been hit hard but I think it's better you were here than at home. You're not alone and it's better that you were here." Balor shook his head. Tygra sighed at this. "Look, you'll feel better eventually and you'll know it was better that you were here. Your village is still alive because you're alive and so is Gard."

"It's just so…" Balor trailed off, looking to the side.

"I know, it'll get better." Balor didn't look at Tygra. "Trust me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome back, gang. This is the last chapter. I hope you aren't disappointed. Enjoy.**

**A Broken Spirit**

Balor stood up. He looked at Tygra with eyes filled with uncertainty. "This is too much for me. I've got to clear my head." Balor walked away, leaving the Valley of the Tombs.

He walked into the forest surrounding the valley. He was alone, Andvari wasn't with him, Barghest wasn't with him he was completely alone.

He walked a bit before taking to the trees. He started to jump from tree limb to tree limb. He continued like this for a few minutes until seeing a limb that was farther than he could usually jump. He could jump about ten feet and that limb must have been at least twelve feet away.

Maybe he'd feel better if he could make that jump! Balor jumped and the limb kept getting closer and closer! He was going to make it! He'd make the jump!

He started to feel himself fall. Balor did fall and the tree limb had only been an inch from his grasp!

As he came down to the earth below Balor hit every tree limb on the way down. He finally landed, not without pain, onto a boulder!

His bruised form slid off of the boulder and Balor hit the ground. The young Evabon starred up at the tree limb he had tried to jump to.

In the forest, to be in the dark shadows was to be safe. To be in the light was vulnerable and in danger. Balor was in the light and he was vulnerable but not in the physical sense.

Despite his bruises, Balor was in no real pain. None of his bones had been broken but his spirit had been.

He couldn't even jump to a tree limb! He couldn't have been there to help his village. He was useless, nobody.

Balor kept starring up at the limb he had jumped for. He starred long and hard but finally his head turned downwards and his eyes starred at the ground.

When he returned to the Valley of the Tombs, the first person to greet Balor was Kit. She starred at the bruises on his body in shock.

"Are you alright? What happened to you?" She extended a hand and placed it on his right shoulder where a large bruise was visible. Instantly, Balor backed away quickly.

"Just leave me alone." The sound of Balor's voice wasn't filled with anger but grief. Kit starred at her friend like she didn't know him any more. Indeed it seemed like that.

"But-"

"I don't need you to feel sorry for me." Andvari walked up to Balor, winning in sadness. He knew how Balor was feeling. "And I don't need you to feel sorry for me either." Balor walked away, walking towards not a tomb but the mouth of a cave. He would hide in their for a while but he didn't think the grief he was feeling would ever leave him. His spirit had been broken and there was no sign of it being the way it once was.

**The End**

**Well, there is the ending of this story. I hope you've enjoyed it and join me next week for my next story "Shamanism." Until then read and review. **


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